Fantasy Basketball Playoffs 2012 Preview (Week 16)

The first week of the playoffs feels like day #1 of the regular season. It is important to pay close attention to how many games each team has and how your players will fair in the right situation. Below is the amount of games listed per team.

Beast Dome will go more in depth on all the playoff matchups after we pass the NBA trade deadline. Instead of looking ahead to the championship, it is important to play one week at a time. This is simply a preview to get your mind in the right place. Beast Dome has your back, and never hesitate to ask questions.

*Judging by this here is a list of players you should trade for, keep, and give away. Obviously this will change with injuries, and the trade deadline. Once again just showing you a preview of what to look out for as you gear your team ready for post season play.

Sleepers:

Bismack Biyombo – 5 Games. Bismack has the potential to single handily win you that category with 5 games. If he averages 3 Blocks per game, which is completely realistic that is 15 blocks for the week. From one guy! He also gives you solid rebound numbers every night.

Tristan Thompson – 5 Games. Thompson at this point of the season is a great sleeper to have on your bench for this time of the season. There is a chance they figure out a way to get him a consistent 30 Minutes which would be huge come playoff time. He has easy double-double potential with good block numbers. Obviously you do not want to drop a good player for him, but if you have a J.J. Reddick type player sitting on your bench, make room for Thompson.

Kemba Walker – 5 Games. At this point in the season, there is no reason to believe that the Bobcats will not give Kemba everything he can handle to be a fantasy contributor as Charlotte prepares for their future. Kemba can be almost Jordan Crawford like and now would be a good time to buy low for him on a trade. You can check the Trade Analyzer to see what will be the best deal.

MVP Candidates of Week 16:

A lot can change with the trade deadline, but here is a sample.

*This list does not include the obvious I.E. Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Love. This is more of a list to see who holds some extra value.

Kyrie Irving – 5 Games. At this point in the season, I would expect Kyrie to go full force ahead and potentially be a guy who can play 40 Minutes a game. Even if he plays 30+ in 5 games, he can easily put up 100 Points, 25 Assists, and 10 3PTM which would make him a huge fantasy contributor to your totals.

Antawn Jamison – 5 Games. If Anderson Varejao does not come back this season, or if Antawn does not get traded at the deadline, then you are looking at a huge fantasy option. Antawn can easily grab 20 Point, 8 Rebound games with the potential for a lot more. He should easily project to over 100 Points, 40 Rebounds, and 8 3PTM through the span. Mix in a couple 30+ Point games and you got yourself a stud.

Zach Randolph – 5 Games. Do not be surprised to see Memphis run their offense through ZBO towards the end of the season. Remember how dominant he was when he took Memphis to the very end with OKC in the playoffs. Randolph is a 20-10 guy almost every night with the chance for a lot more. Even in a stacked offense, Randolph is too good to not get his touches. He can also project to 100+ Points, 50+ Rebounds.

Paul Pierce – 5 Games. If the Celtics are fighting for a playoff spot, and Pierce is still a Celtic. Then I want him on my fantasy team. When the Celtics really need a big game, they go to Mr. Big Game #34. Pierce can easily rack up the 25+ Point, 7+ Assist, 3+ 3PTM game when he really needs it. His situation is unsure, and so is the Celtic roster. As of now, Pierce is in a good position for a huge playoff week.

Rajon Rondo – 5 Games. Who knows if he is going to be a Celtic come this time of the season. What we do know is that he can put up some nasty 3×2 that will kill your opponents dead in the water. He also 20 Assist game potential which is #gamechanger quality.

Players to Sell Now:

Jeff Teague – 3 Games. Teague is a shaky option as is every week. His value appears a bit higher at the moment because of no Joe Johnson which means extra touches on offense. With only three games, and unsure of what the team will be like in that situation, I would look to package Teague along with some else for an upgrade.

Luol Deng – 3 Games. Deng’s wrist appears to be an issue and if he admits that he is fine. Then now would be a great time to trade him as his value could plummet come playoff time. Deng has been an inconsistent fantasy option as of late, and Boozer is starting to get it going as the #2 option. When Rip Hamilton comes back, Deng will have another player to compete with.

Kris Humphries – 3 Games. Hump is a solid double-double machine. Which means you should trade him now before the other owner realizes they are only going to get 3 games. His value remains high, and with word that Brook Lopez may be shut down for the season, his value will only go higher.

Jrue Holiday – 3 Games. Jrue has been a bust all-season if you look at him as a whole. However there are still owners out there that believe in him. The one’s that may have had him last season, and want to give him a chance for fantasy dominance. Either way you look at it, he only has 3 games that week, and chances are only 1 of those games has the chance to be fantasy worthy with the way he has been playing.

As you may have heard, Ricky Rubio is out with a season ending injury. That is a huge blow for me, as my guard situation is adequate (unless you count some of the forwards that I have as guards). I am not sure that I have enough time to whip up a trade offer. I need someone to replace the huge void that Rubio leaves (even though he has been struggling as of late).

Some info about my team and league:
H2H, 10 teams, 9 cat standard
I am in first place, and I have held that position for several weeks now (thanks largely to you!). However, it is a tight race and I am only leading by 2 games.

If Rubio is out, then I lose assists and steals mostly. Lin has been great for the past few weeks, but its obvious that his production is decreasing now that Melo is back. I had Vasquez before, but I dropped him when Jack came back. I dropped Isaiah Thomas as well, as he has been sucking lately.

Though I am in first place, I could still use a significant improvement in most of my cats: FG% FT% 3PT AST ST BLK

Hey Sarah, it looks like you could use another guard. I would recommend picking up Jerryd Bayless. With Calderon possibly out for a game or so, Bayless will be starting and probably catch fire given he will get more minutes. Mike Dunleavy has also been on a tear and can probably help you out in points. Earl Watson could possibly help you out in steals and assists too. It might be a stretch too, but you could try packaging Caron and Pekovic for someone like Marcus Thornton. He is a fantasy beast. He will replace Caron by making those 3’s and his FG% is pretty decent.

*Derek, glad to see you are actively participating on the site. I encourage the entire Beast Dome community to interact with one another whether it is the forums, chat, or even on questions. I will also give my comments to supplement, so never hesitate to answer other people’s questions.

Tough week Sarah. First Rubio, then Lowry.

Since you need FG%, FT%, 3PT, AST, STL, BLK, while of course having the best players. This is what I would do.

Drop Rubio and add Dragic. You first and foremost need Dragic to fill the gap of 2 PGs, including the one he is replacing in your roster with Lowry. He should be a fine substitute.

Trade Kaman, and Corey Maggette.

Find a team that cannot move up or down in assists. Grab their best assist guy, hopefully it is someone in the ball park of Steve Nash or Tony Parker. Let me know who it is.

Maggette and Kaman are both holding sky high fantasy value right now. That will not last three weeks to this day as both teams will go through a change with the trade deadline, and players getting healthy. Also both teams will try out new talent to see what they got.

Then you have an extra roster space where you can either pickup, Jerry Bayless *Good Suggestion Derek. Bayless scored 30 before going down last time with an ankle. This is his chance for revenge. If you miss out on Dragic then you can pick up Bayless, scoring 16 and 6 assists is a good sign going forward. Plus Calderon could be moved at the deadline if his ankle holds up.

If that does not work, move Turner to the guard position and you should be fine. Just make sure you get Dragic.

Derek’s trade of Peko and Caron for Thornton will give you all the steals, and 3PTM you can ask for. I doubt the other owner will do it personally.

thanks a lot for the advice! unfortunately, my trade deadline has already passed, so I can’t trade anyone. I did drop rubio and pick up dragic like you suggested. bay less is still sitting in the waiver wire…should i drop someone for him?

There is a chance Calderon gets moved, but there is also a chance he returns by the end of the weekend. Short Term Bayless is a must-start option, would I drop any of your guys for him? Probably not. However if you hear anything about Calderon missing a week or more, then you should drop Dragic and make the short term move. Bayless is a better option when he is on the court than Goran.

Though I would make the move to add Klay Thompson over Caron Butler. I have all but given up on him this season, he does not look like the same player from the first 20 games this season. Thompson gives you much more upside.

You should only trade LeBron if you KNOW you are getting a star-caliber player like Durant in return. LeBron only missed 3 games last year so I would not be concerned. Though with the tight schedule he could miss maybe 5 games at the most. Hope this helps!

*Derek, glad to see you are actively participating on the site. I encourage the entire Beast Dome community to interact with one another whether it is the forums, chat, or even on questions. I will also give my comments to supplement, so never hesitate to answer other people’s questions.

Derek’s answer is perfect. As he said unless you are getting a star, or two amazing players such as LaMarcus Aldridge and John Wall. I would not make a Lebron trade. Even the trade I just wrote makes you really have to think long and hard if you want to make that move. If you are a lock for the playoffs, then hold onto the guy that got you there.

Your team is solid. I do not see any weakness as you must be playing in a shallow league.

Personally, I would drop Thaddeus Young for Ty Lawson.

There is no reason Ty Lawson should be a FA in any league, he could be a top 7 PG option down the stretch of the season. As good as Bismack Biyombo is, and will be. There is nobody you can drop on your team as they will be picked up in a hear beat. All of these guys are owned in 95% of leagues or higher.

Danilo is the next guy to go, so if he fails or has a bad week or two and you grow frustrated of the situation. You can drop him, though it would take him being buried on the bench and only getting 20 Minutes a game.

Your FA pool has a lot of talent so you will be good either way. Keep dominating and pickup Lawson if you can get him.

I read that Lowry’s timetable is currently 2-4 weeks. In my league, the next 2 weeks are regular weeks, followed by 3 playoff weeks.

I was wondering, should I add Goran Dragic right now while he’s available, hot, and consistent when starting?
I also just dropped James Johnson to pick up Evan Turner because of his upside (was this a good move)? I would be gambling with 2 hot players then in Turner and Dragic.
The clearest choice for me would be to drop Trevor Booker, however, I want to keep some rebounds for the next few weeks and use him as a rebounding streaming position.

So the only player left would be OJ Mayo. This would be a gamble, because if Lowry returns in 2 weeks, rather than 4, then Dragic will no longer have the same value and minutes. I am only using Mayo for steals and 3’s, however, Dragic would cover that and more if he continues to start. I was just worried that if Lowry returns early, then I will have made a bad decision; however, if I don’t act soon, then I might miss out on picking up a hot Dragic.
Mayo also does have a favorable playoff schedule, so should I just probably stay put with my team?

Hey Richard, first off, dropping James Johnson for Evan Turner is a very good move. Now that Barg is back and healthy, Johnson will be moved back to the bench. Factor in the Linas Kleiza situation and you get maybe 30 min max at best for Johnson.

Also, wait until Blatche has at least 3 good games before scooping him up as he’s still not starting (hence why you still have need for Booker). Speights might be good short-term until Z-Bo is back and unless one of the Knicks point guards gets traded or Lin gets injured or goes into a slump, then Davis will not be starting.

I’ve heard the plan for the Nets might possibly to shut down BroLo for the rest of the season, so you can most likely kick the tires on Shelden and hope for the best.

Haywood is still injured at the moment, but keep an eye on him at this point.

If you’re not worried on dropping Augustin for Dragic, that could help your team during those 2-4 weeks since the Bobcats may give their rookies (Kemba, Biyombo) more minutes leaving D.J. with 25 MPG maybe?

Beasley will not be a consistent option unless he gets more minutes or he is traded to a team who will give him that opportunity

Knight is a bench option at best right now until the Pistons realize they need to give him more minutes.

Gee will be a good source of steals and 3’s so you could drop Mayo for him.

Lastly, Udoh will be a bench option until he has a breakout game which could be soon. Then it will time to drop Booker for him.

*Derek, glad to see you are actively participating on the site. I encourage the entire Beast Dome community to interact with one another whether it is the forums, chat, or even on questions. I will also give my comments to supplement, so never hesitate to answer other people’s questions.

I personally would have dropped Booker before Johnson, as Johnson brings steal/blocks intangibles few bring to the table. However with Bargs back that could cause some problems in the rotation. Either way they are both bench options.

It’s not necessarily a gamble picking up Dragic for Booker, Booker’s value is due to drop when Blatche returns as a starter. Blatche was a machine two seasons ago getting 20-14 games with his eyes closed.

Looking at your free agents this is what I would do.

Drop Booker. Add Udoh. The guy has huge block shot potential. Being the starter he should not be a waiver wire in many leagues. He will give you everything you want from Booker and more.

Drop Mayo. Add Dragic. Dragic will be a perfect gap-filler if you decide to use him. Either way you do not want another team claiming him. Mayo is in a complete time share with Allen and it appears that is not going to end anytime soon. Add Zach Randolph into the picture, and there is no reason to believe Mayo will get more touches and be a more productive fantasy player.

Thanks Munt.
Do you see Udoh eventually putting up 8+ rebounds a game? I don’t see him getting the 10+ rebound streaks that are possible from the other PF/C’s, but at least 8 reb from here on out would be nice if I pick him up for blocks. However, if Evan Turner does provide the rebounds, then I might still be able to win the rebounds category.

He definitely has the potential to grab double digits. Especially when we get deeper in the season, Ekpe will be a seasoned pro as he is already seeing 30+ Minutes consistently, he should dominate every night. Udoh is already looking good, and there is no reason to think he cannot get better.

In my league we get -1pts per missed shot 2pts per steal and block.
In 2-4 weeks who has more short term value. Goran Dragic, Luke Ridnour, Raymond Felton, or Jerryd Bayless.
I have Isaiah Thomas and he just isn’t getting the minutes like some of these guys even though he deserves it. Which of these PGs should I pick up to replace Thomas? Thank you!

Dragic has the best short term value as he’ll be moved back to the bench after Lowry returns. Ridnour is a shoo in for the starting PG spot unless they trade him.
Felton will have better long term value if he gets traded.
Bayless will still get his minutes after Jose comes back from his ankle injury, so he is a solid option.

Derek, glad to see you are actively participating on the site. I encourage the entire Beast Dome community to interact with one another whether it is the forums, chat, or even on questions. I will also give my comments to supplement, so never hesitate to answer other people’s questions.

Short term. As tempting as it is to go with Goran Dragic with how good he is looking as a starter. I would still say go with Luke Ridnour. He is the PG for this team that they trust. He will get all the minutes he can handle, and double-digit assists will be a very common theme. I also do agree with Derek that Dragic should be great, I just think Luke Ridnour is safer.

Thomas has been disappointing. I expect his value to go up again later in the season when the Kings go into, “We will try anything mode.” Out of those guys, Raymond Felton has the most potential to be great especially if he gets traded to the Lakers. But if you want a steady option, role with Luke, and trust the force. The T-Wolves have no other option that can handle the ball and run an offense.

Dragic is available in my league, do you recommend making a move for him? Other notable FAs: Udoh and Gee. Jordan Crawford just got dropped and is on waivers. I was thinking of dropping a Raptor or Bobcat.12 team, 9 cat h2h league. I’m in 3rd. Playoffs start in three weeks, Merci!

Camby is someone I would drop at this point. His value will not go any higher than it is now, and quite frankly I am impressed he is still healthy. Even when he is out there, 25 Minutes is the max of what you would expect. Grab Udoh for him, and you have an immediate upgrade.

You should also snag up Jordan Crawford. Despite having a bad week, he is still starting and shooting the ball 15 times a game. Last year he was the fantasy playoffs MVP, and there is no reason to think he will make a comeback at that again. You saw how explosive he can be.

Short Term: Dragic
If you want to win your league: Crawford.

James Johnson’s value is toast at the moment with Bargs back. Too many people part of the rotation, besides a few blocks or steals here and there, he is going to be inconsistent.

If you don’t need the assists badly, I would definitely go with Jor Craw.

If you want an immediate upgrade over D.J. for what he brings to the table, take the gamble on Dragic and drop D.J. That is if you’re feeling really risky, it should pay off short term.

Dragic has a bit more potential to put up better games. Jeff Teauge may throw in some duds to go along with his semi-solid games with good steal numbers. If you are a lock for the playoffs I would say go with Teague. If your team needs a quick jolt, I would go with Dragic.

Ya the 3 game playoff week is a bit concerning, I personally already plan to bench him for that period. You can definitely pick him and package a trade if he keeps up his solid play.